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Apr
24

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Whole wheat breads – dough moisture levels

Category: Whole grain baking Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

So it’s probably pretty obvious that I grind a lot of whole grain flours and do a considerable volume of baking with them.  I’ve learned a couple of secrets over time.

1. You need fine flour to get something that is acceptable quality, you can do that on the home built grain mill or a good quality one you purchase.

2. You need a really good recipe to make a whole wheat breads that is something folks will be happy eating day after day.

3. You need to ensure there is adequate moisture in the dough at when it is just starting out to compensate for the slower

Desired moisture level in whole wheat dough at the start of the cycle

Desired moisture level in whole wheat dough at the start of the cycle

absorption of the liquid into the whole wheat flour.  This is something I always monitor at the start of the bread machine cycle and add water as necessary to achieve the consistency I am looking for.  While the consistency is always the same the amount of water can vary depending upon the moisture content in the flour and things like the size of the eggs.

You want the dough at the start of the cycle to look considerably more moist than you would want to achieve with a white dough.

I shot a video to give you a better idea of what you are looking to achieve.

 

Apr
22

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Egg ‘n Ham Breakfast Bagels – breakfast on the go done right

Category: Uncategorized Tags: , , , Leave a Comment

Let’s give credit where credit is due.  Fast food gets loads of flack including the blame for making folks fat.  But consider that McDonalds – the quintessential fast food chain has been around for decades – including a whack load of time during which folks were in pretty good shape.  No question the portion size has a bunch to do with it as well as the frequency of a patron’s visit – but those are in the full dominion of the patron.

Ham and Egg breakfast bagel - whole wheat

Ham and Egg breakfast bagel – whole wheat

OK, so  where am I going with this – well to some of the fast food breakfast offerings.  Not only did the introduction of these mark a capital utilization and financial breakthrough for the fast food joints but also in many respects created many new food  items in the form of breakfast sandwiches.  Moreover, those breakfast sandwiches are great!

But just like you can make a better burger at home you can also upgrade the breakfast sandwiches by making them chez vous.  In my home I know that whenever I make up a batch of whole wheat bagels (which are so simple that you need to try them now) I had better have cream cheese and a fillet of our home smoked salmon or trout as well as eggs so that I can make bagels with lox and then breakfast egg bagels if any last to the next morning.  Failure to properly plan ahead – or at least warn the other occupants of the house that some component is missing (usually we’ve eaten though all of the smoked salmon) – will trigger a cascade of complaints.  And this is for something that is whole grain and pretty healthy no less.

So what are you waiting for?  Take the food you love from out there and make it better at home – starting with whole wheat bagel breakfast sandwiches.

Apr
17

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Ham and cheese melt – Good food doesn’t need to be complicated

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There probably aren’t too many among us who aren’t busy and find ourselves at points particularly pressed for time.

At those point it would be particularly easy to head out for a meal out.  Those meals in my view tend to be a bit of a waste – it’s not like most folks go out to a great restaurant for an awesome meal at these times… it’s more likely you’d head to a mid to low grade restaurant and plunk down between $7 and $30 for a “whatever” meal.  What’s the point of that?

Instead there are some great last minutes meals that can be pulled together that are not only healthy but taste great – especially if you mix them up a bit.

Take a simple grilled cheese and shift it up by making it with the whole wheat baler twine bread add ham and spice it up with dijon mustard and hot pepper rings.  You get a satisfying meal for a fraction of the price and with a fraction of the effort that it would otherwise take to drive yourself to a restaurant to wait for service.  Plus, if you’ve cracked open a bottle of wine or tapped the keg of beer you can begin refreshing while you’re cooking.